Myocardial Infarction: symptoms and causes

Jaakko Goffart

The term "heart attack" refers to a myocardial infarction (MI). Reduced or complete cessation of blood flow to a part of the myocardium causes MI. The most common underlying cause of Myocardial Infarction is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). CAD is the leading cause of death in the United States. MI can be a silent event that goes unnoticed, or it can be a life-threatening event that results in hemodynamic worsening and untimely death. The deprivation of oxygen in the myocardial muscle occurs when a coronary artery is occluded. Long-term loss of oxygen delivery to the myocardium can result in cardiac tissue cell death and necrosis.